Microsoft warns Windows XP users risk 'zero day forever'

@Lazure. The really crazy part is his reason for wanting XP was so as not to have to purchase a new OS after spending about $1,800 on the hardware already! At that time Win7 Ultimate OEM 64 bit was available at around $169 with RAM cheap as chips. So go figure! I can't. In fact it was so much extra trouble getting drivers and literally almost forcing the system to work with XP, I'm totally over it for any future asks of that nature.

For several years now I've been preaching the 'upadate away from XP' message to those friends, acquaintances and others whose PCs I repair, reload, trouble shoot ... or all else fails, build new rigs. But like alphanumeric says, they stare glassy eyed, or give you that condescending, supercilious look of: 'Well thanks for fixing it ... now bug off till next time!"

This is so recognizable for me! Onfortunately most of the time these people are also the same people who 'click first, think next (or not)' with all the problems that comes with.

After april 2014 I'll be ending my support on the XP machines from my friends as well ;-)

For several years now I've been preaching the 'upadate away from XP' message to those friends, acquaintances and others whose PCs I repair, reload, trouble shoot ... or all else fails, build new rigs. But like alphanumeric says, they stare glassy eyed, or give you that condescending, supercilious look of: 'Well thanks for fixing it ... now bug off till next time!"

One guy actually got me to build a totally new rig approaching high end and insisted on putting XP on it despite the BIOS drive config having to be set to legacy IDE instead of AHCI ... in order to be able to load it ... and needing to make an nLite CD of XP with SATA drivers preinstalled on it to stop BSOD during install. All I can say is if people want to waste their hard earned $$$$ ... good luck!

These people drive me absolutely nuts. Why would they completely gimp a NEW machine with Windows XP today? That's so mindless. I mean come on, XP can't even use more than about 3GB of RAM, and it can't use multicore CPU effectively, and yeah, no AHCI is terrible. If he were to ask this of an OEM machine, it would probably be near impossible to get drivers even. Why would anyone be so dead set on ruining modern hardware with XP, and nevermind the security implications and lack of support? What's this guy have against Windows 7 anyways?

What gets me are the people who want a machine with tons of RAM (like 8GB or more), but insist on XP. You try and tell them XP can't use more than 3 and they don't believe you!

Those people simply don't understand the implications, even when you try to explain it to them. Its like your talking in a foreign language. They don't know what AHCI is or does, they just know what they want and put the blinders on. Uh hu, vep, OK, do it anyway.

These people drive me absolutely nuts. Why would they completely gimp a NEW machine with Windows XP today? That's so mindless. I mean come on, XP can't even use more than about 3GB of RAM, and it can't use multicore CPU effectively, and yeah, no AHCI is terrible. If he were to ask this of an OEM machine, it would probably be near impossible to get drivers even. Why would anyone be so dead set on ruining modern hardware with XP, and nevermind the security implications and lack of support? What's this guy have against Windows 7 anyways?

What gets me are the people who want a machine with tons of RAM (like 8GB or more), but insist on XP. You try and tell them XP can't use more than 3 and they don't believe you!

Sometimes, you absolutely CAN'T install XP on certain machines. But there are new motherboards, made to deal with it, you build systems around boards like that. XP is not going to vanish just because MS is ending support, Windows 2000 certainly has not vanished, I see it all the time. Mostly in machines configured to run equipment, like Lifts and Smog machines in auto shops. This is the stuff I work on, and they MAKE the equipment with Windows 95, 98, 2000 and XP. New equipment like this is made with older style computers, and that will never stop. Dell makes the systems for this kind of equipment, and a machine I worked on that was brand new, this year, had a Dell Box with Windows XP underlying.

You see, these boxes never get updated and the OS is there to support a shell program that connects to all of the controls of the equipment. There are special interfaces in the PCs, that cannot work with Vista 7 or 8.

When XP is not longer supported? they will continue to make this equipment with XP machines. This is BIG BUSINESS, these machines cost upwards of $15,000- And Windows 8 in no way can act as the host OS. Not even windows 7 can. Since they need no IE, no updates, not dot net, they never have to download updates. Downloading updates will wreck the stability of it.

In 2002 - A shop bought a new Wheel Alignment machine, the box was Windows 95 - It was a BRAND NEW, Dated 2002 version of Windows 95. It came with the OS and Support programs with the manuals. Microsoft will not stop making specialized OSes out of older systems for equipment companies, even though publicly they do not sell or support those OSes. But that Windows 95 was dated years after end of life for 95.

This is fairly new, a system from Hunter bought just a couple of years ago had XP on it. This one is an i7 with windows 7.

Well, it goes to show, these companies are making the computer a more important aspect of the whole system, back in 98 when I started working on stuff like this, the computer was just there to host the Control System GUI. But back then it w3as harder to fix this stuff. I had to rebuild whole systems and it was very hard to find motherboards that were compatible.

@Wenda. Yes I can see the logic in that request. And a smart alternative using a VM where necessity demands XP.

I will say that one positive for XP in fixing bugs in everyday running and repairing, is the fact that almost all known issues have been resolved. And I have from time to time successfully used the repair option on the installation CD to fix the OS without losing the data and third party apps. Also the DOS commands for repairing boot problems are a lot easier than BCD in Vista and Seven; which includes running the third party CD "Fix NTLDR" which boots into windows when normal boot is compromised ... allowing repairs.

Very good comments in regards to Microsoft XP Pro, in 2014 when support end...

FYI you will be able to run it forever and ever just make sure it your Installation of Windows XP Pro, 32bit or 64bit never ever see's or connects to the internet and make sure your LAN Adaptors are turn off, If not Microsoft with all their Update Servers and Security Servers in other words Bean Counters will ID your copy and lock up the Registry and you will be screwed...

If you don't connect on the Internet Via Direct Cable or WiFi or other means your Installation will last for many years on any hard drive...